ROAD TRIP!
by Yunity
Summary: Problem Number One: Huge storm (probably some supervillain) grounds planes. Problem Number Two: Batfam, meaning SEVEN PEOPLE need to be in DC in a week, and are in their California penthouse. Problem Number Three: think about it. Hyperactive acrobat (Dick). Grumpy demon child (Damien). Serendipitous Stephanie. Annoying Jason. Clueless Bruce. Well... this is a good combination. Not.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't worry. This is not yet ANOTHER story I am writing before I finish my others. I don't think I'll finish this fic, so read at your own expense. I have one other chapter written, but as I said I won't finish unless i get like a hundred reviews telling me to get my butt in gear. Until then...**

 **I own this much: ...**

 _ **Day 1: Dick's POV**_

* * *

This was not good.

I'll tell you what is not good: needing to be on the other side of the country when all planes are grounded due to a nationwide storm.

So me and my siblings, Tim, Cass, Stephanie, Damien, and Jason were sitting around a Monopoly game board playing a violent game (by violent I mean whenever Damien landed on someone else's space and he had to pay them he'd chase them around with knives) when Bruce came in.

"Um, kids?" he asked for our attention.

"Yeah?" we answered in unison, looking up from the die Cass had just rolled.

"We have a problem."

"What?" asked Tim.

"All planes have been grounded for the next three weeks across the nation, and we have to be in DC by Tuesday. I have an important business meeting, a few galas, and some charity events. And you guys, at least Dick and Jason, have to come with me."

We all stared at him blankly. "So…?" Stephanie quirked an eyebrow.

"And since the planes are grounded, we have to go by car."

"Wha-what?" we stared at him horrified. Tim and I knocked together our heads for a moment and this was our rapid conversation:

Tim: Well, we're in California right now, so what states will we hit?

Me: Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia- again, Virginia, and then Washington DC. (I traced the map in my head.)

Tim: And, (he muttered a bunch of equations of math I could understand but would take too long to write) So, about 2,300 miles…

Me: At 60 miles an hour with a few detours and rest stops… (I also muttered a bunch of math stuff) that'd be 5 very long days…

Tim: Plus break time, which we'll need, because you know Damien and Jay when they don't get enough exercise-

Me: Don't forget me-

Tim: that would be…

We both turned to Bruce. "SEVEN DAYS?!"

He nodded solemnly.

"You do realize you could have just asked Google, right?" Jason pointed out.

"Or Siri." Stephanie piped.

"The Lady in the phone has zero intelligence, Brown. She could not have answered." Damien pointed out.

"You guys are missing the point!" Tim face-palmed.

"Road Trip!" Stephanie sang. "This is going to be so fun!"

"Wait- what?" Jason realized. "NO! No way! No how!"

"Sorry, Jason."

"We'll have to leave today to get there in time." Cass frowned, confused.

"Yes," Bruce sighed. "Pack up. And I guess I have to drive, since Alfred didn't come to California with us." He lamented. Then he turned to go to his room. "Pack a bag for the week in the car, then for two after that. We should be able to fly back."

We stared at each other, wide-eyed. Then we all scrambled to our perspective rooms to pack. When I was done, I helped a very confused Dami, with Tim occasionally popping in asking questions like, "How many pairs of underwear?" and "Should I pack both of my toothbrushes?" (my response was, "You only need one period!" his answer being: "But one is Batman and the other is Robin! I NEED both!")

When I finished with Dami, I helped Cass, Tim still constantly asking questions, a few more examples are: "Should I pack my backup Laptop? And what about my tablet? Should I bring the Bat-Tablet? Or just the normal one? Will I need my com-set? Should I pack a comb and a brush? Or just a comb? Or can I borrow yours? Do you know where the gel is? I can't find my ipods! Where are they!? Do you think it would be okay if I brought a holo-projector in the car?"

I eventually finished with Cass and decided to check on Jason, who was laying on his back, legs up on the wall at a 90 degree angle, tapping a hand to the sound of music blasting through earbuds into his ears while texting.

I called his name a couple of times then ripped the earbuds out of his ears, sending him into a surprised back roll into a defensive crouch. Then I glared at him and began digging through drawers, throwing clothes at him to pack. Once I was done with that I made my way to Stephanie's room where she was standing in the mirror with a sparkly aqua skirt that brought out her blue eyes and a tight black top that accented what little shape her thin eleven year-old self had, adorned with a sapphire necklace and earrings.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Stephanie jumped and spun. "I'm choosing clothes for the trip!" she retorted, defensive.

"Well, don't try them on, throw them in a bag!"

"But we're going to the capital! What if I meet the President's son?" she whined. "I have to look my best!"

"A, he's not like a prince or anything, B, he probably doesn't deserve you, C, I'd kill him if he so much as touched you, and D, YOU ARE ELEVEN!"

Stephanie pouted. "Whatever, Dick. But, I still want to try on all the clothes-"

"Stripes with florals, it doesn't matter!" I rolled my eyes exasperatedly.

Stephanie gasped. "Never! Not stripes with florals!"

"And polka dots." I held up a bright pink dress with polka dots and a lime sash and hemming.

"Not polka dots too! Where is Barbara when I need her!?" the blonde cried.

"Back in Gotham." I snorted, throwing the dress into the purple sparkly suitcase.

I eventually got Steph to agree on less trying on and more packing, but she was by far the most time I spent on any of my siblings, even myself. I then helped Tim finish up by placing the nine year old on the chair in the corner of the room and finishing for him.

I made sure all my siblings got their suitcases down by the door and helped Bruce (who knew almost nothing about cooking) finish up with the extensive snacks and junk-food (how did he get all of that so fast?! Oh well, he _is_ the Batman), loading them into coolers and bags, then dragging them out of our LA penthouse to the brand new minivan, Honda Odyssey, to be exact, in a dark blue-grey color, Bruce mumbling about car mix-up orders and whatnot.

I realized as we loaded the luggage into the trunk and newly installed Thule how lucky we were. I mean, we needed a minivan. So we bought one plain, with cash. No monthly payment, or years for it to finally be ours. Just… we need a minivan, so, we got a minivan.

Then we got situated, Bruce in the driver's seat, Stephanie in Shotgun (much to Jason's dismay), Jason and I in the captain chairs, and Dami, Cass, and Tim in the back. The cooler sat between the two captain chairs and the bags of food and paper-ware under the center console between the front two seats.

And then, at about 7:15, we were off! Only to hear Jason, Stephanie and Dami complain over hunger, and then a big fight over which restaurant we'd attend, which ended in Bruce telling them to suck it up, we're going to Farmer Boys. But then the drive-thru was ridiculously busy, but everyone had excepted the decision by then so there was no turning back, but then Steph, and Dami insisted on going inside with Bruce, and after a fight, our Dad gave in.

So he ran inside and told me to get air in the tires, so I slid into the driver's seat (I know, I'm only fourteen, but technically, I've driven Jets, the Batmobile at speeds not even professional racers drive at through _traffic jams_ , helicopters, the Batwing, robot suits, a floating disc, super-motorcycles, jetpacks, even spaceships, so… both I and Bruce thought I was more than able to drive across the lot and get some air in the tires).

I got out and realized I didn't have any quarters. Crap.

"Hey, guys? You got any quarters?" I peeked my head back in.

Jason shrugged, playing a game on the PS2 hooked up to one of the mini-TVs that Bruce had bought when he got the food. He must've set it up while I was realizing that I lacked quarters. Cass looked up from Tim's tablet, in which he was furiously hacking something, numbers flying across the screen at an alarming rate. Eh. Probably just the Pentagon.

"No." Cass cocked her head and looked back to her big brother, pointing out a number glitch in Tim's sequence.

I looked around and found Stephanie's purse, (why'd she have that? She was eleven!) either way it had a few quarters so I was thankful. I then climbed back out and filled the tires. By then it was nearly 7:30, and that made me extremely thankful that we were the Bats and Bruce had slept a solid four hours last night, he wouldn't fall asleep on the road.

I jumped back into the driver seat and drove back to Farmer Boys, where the traffic had only gotten worse. I had to sit in the middle of the parking lot with someone honking at me to get moving before I finally pulled up beside the restaurant. It took forever, and a lot of yelling at Jason to turn the TV down, but eventually Dad, Steph, and Dami came out, laden with bags. Well… Steph and Dad were, but apparently Dami had gotten tired and was now resting on Bruce's hip. And Jason had put headphones on.

I jumped over the console and back into the captain chair, where I buckled and received the bags of food. I then sifted through them, handing it out as Bruce pulled out and Steph began a monologue about how exciting this would be.

Meanwhile, Tim had put aside his tablet (and laptop, and other laptop, and other tablet, and all three of his ipods, and his holo-projecter, and Bat-Wave Wifi Receiver) to munch happily on his burger. Dami was eating the breading off the zucchini sticks as Cass ate the leftover zucchini. Jason was eating onion rings, frantically trying to keep Sora alive in his game of Kingdom Hearts, and I was dipping my own onion rings in ranch and enjoying the crunch of the breading and the sweet of the onion.

"Oh my goodness!" Steph giggled as rain started beating our window and Bruce turned onto the I-15. "It's beautiful! Like a wonderland! I just love that the planes are grounded- or we would never take a road trip! It's going to be good bonding!"

I smiled as I remembered back when I was little tiny. Going on train trips were dreaded yet so fun, with my family all around me, crowded together, I guess a road trip- this wouldn't be so bad.

"Yep, I'm glad too, Steph." I used a napkin to wipe some mayo off my lip after a bite of burger.

"Dick, don't you just love the rain?" she reclined, pressing on to my knees a bit, and flung her bare feet up onto the dash, pressing them against the freezing window, giggling and squealing in surprise at the cold.

I scooted my chair back so she wouldn't be pressing on me, and Damien tapped my shoulder, he was right behind me, still grumpy Bruce made him sit in a booster. "Yes, Domino?"

"Don't call me that, Grayson. But you're smashing me."

I looked over my shoulder to see I wasn't even touching his black-sweatpant clad knees at all. I rolled my eyes. "Dami, I'm not touching you _at all_. Steph reclined so I have to scoot back."

"Tell Brown to un-recline then!"

"Dami, you're fine." I stuffed the garbage from my dinner under my seat.

"I am NOT Grayson, you _are smashing me_!" Damien grabbed my hair and pulled on it, making me yelp in surprise.

"DAD!" I choked, scratching at Damien's unrelenting hands.

"What?" Bruce glanced behind his shoulder only to refocus on the road.

"Dami's hurting me!"

"You sound like a five-year-old, Grayson!"

"You _are_ a five-year-old! Le' go!"

"No!" I grabbed his hand, squeezing his fingers and thumb uncomfortably tight, and twisted, popping his wrist painfully up, upside down, grimacing in pain as some of my hair went with it.

I then twisted and held both of his hands, engulfing them and vising them in my larger ones. I stared at him intensely as I spoke in low, menacing voice. "Damien Wayne. We are on a road-trip in a minivan due to Alfred ordering it instead of the motor-home Dad asked for. This is going to be uncomfortable. But you are _not_ to be rude, scream, or misbehave. Got it?"

Damien glared at me. But I was in big-brother mode, he had no choice but to mutter, "Fine, Dick."

I sighed and turned back around. Steph was humming "Black Hills of Dakota", Jason was now in a fight against a bunch of Forsaken, with Donald Duck already down, and Goofy only half-health. Cass was staring out of the front window, bored to death as the desert rolled by. Damien was sulking behind me and Tim was reading a book on his Kindle.

I rested my head against the backrest and sighed. This would be one very long road trip. I tugged my comforter up on my and folded my legs underneath myself, resting my head against the freezing window. Eventually, Cass and Damien slumped onto each other falling asleep with a panda tie-blanket across them. Tim had turned on night-mode on his Kindle, and Jason had gotten annoyed when he couldn't defeat the pirates on Pirates of the Caribbean World to get to the next destination, and had huffed, settling with his MP3 player and neon orange headphones, tapping his foot and occasionally humming along. From what I heard it sounded like Lindsey Stirling.

Stephanie was now singing along to the radio, the current scratchy song being "Jingle Bell Rock," don't even ask why that was on in October. Bruce was leaning on the wheel and staring thoughtfully at the road, and I was trying to follow Cass' and Damien's example.

Eventually Jason started snoring and Stephanie had resorted to humming to Michael Bublé, or as Dami and Cass called it, Bubble. It kinda' had become a thing in our family, except for Bruce, because, well, Bruce was… Bruce.

I was about to doze off when Bruce interrupted, "Dick? Get me the Oreos, please."

I yawned and nodded, digging through the orange bag and handing him the Oreos, which were birthday with little sprinkles in the filling.

He nodded thanks and I attempted once again to go to sleep, scooting my chair up far enough to have literally no leg room and then reclining it back to almost a 180 degree angle. I drifted off to sleep.

I woke several hours later, Bruce telling me to help my siblings, it was about seven in the morning when we reached our Salt Lake City hotel, Holiday Inn… I think? No, that was a movie… I had no idea. I was too tired to care. I loaded Cass onto my hip along with my blanket, laptop, tablet and phone (yeah, I know, Tim and I have a lot of gadgets… but we like to hack. In fact, the Hotel's security system would already be gone due to one of us if we weren't so tired.

Anyway, I helped my Dad get everyone and everything to our hotel room, number 119 on the sixth floor then collapsed on one of the queens, Jason on the other side and Tim between us. Stephanie and Cass slept on the pull-out bed and Dami and Bruce slept on the other queen. Then… we fell asleep. A nice, blissful sleep…

* * *

 **There we go. As I said, i have one more chapter but unless i get an overwhelming amount of death sentences unless i continue, i don't think I'll continue because i want to finish my other fics so I can write my novel... yeah. Thanks guys,**

 **Peace be with.**

 **And watch Studio C, they are amazing (random, I know)**

 **Boiy!**

 _ **~Universe**_

V

Do it. You know you really, REALLY want too...

V

DO IT.

V

V


	2. Chapter 2

**This is the last chapter.**

 **Unless a lot of people want more**

 **Don't own, don't sue**

 **Oh... one more thing, I wrote this at Halloween time so yeah...**

 _ **Day 2: (also) Dick's POV**_

* * *

Bruce was gone when I woke up, but the rest of my siblings were still in dream-world. I looked at the clock and squeaked in surprise when I saw that it was already ten. How'd I sleep so long?! Okay, it was only three hours now that I think about it… shish. We got in late! Or… early. I looked at the hotel pamphlet and realized that breakfast finished at ten thirty.

I jumped out of bed, feeling a wave of vertigo from standing up _way_ too fast, then ran up to Dami and shook him awake.

"What?" he yawned. "Grayson?"

"Get up! We're going to miss breakfast!"

"Huh?" Dami sat up, yawning again and stretching. He was still in his Minecraft T from yesterday. I then scurried back to my bed, where I ripped the blanket off, causing Jason and Tim to moan and protest, sitting up and rubbing their heads.

I shook Stephanie awake, she protesting and pushing me away. Cassy peeked open her amber-brown eyes and curled her hands, asking to be picked up. I obliged, and then sat her on a chair where I handed her a black t-shirt from her bag and a pair of black leggings with sparkly silver spiderwebs and spiders patterned on it. I helped her, as she was still half asleep, change, but she pouted at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Cold." She said, rubbing her bare arms. I looked out the rain-spattered window at the gray skies of Salt Lake. Utah was indeed a lot colder than Cali. I looked back in her suitcase and handed her a purple sweatshirt with a black rhinestone bat on it. She put it on, then wrapped her arms around my neck, refusing to let me put her down. I rolled my eyes, but picked her up and ripped the blanket off Tim and Jason, as they'd replaced it. Dami was sitting on the floor by his suitcase glaring at me.

I sighed and sat by him, digging through his suitcase for a red long sleeved undershirt. Over it I put on a blue one with a silly looking cartoon ninja on it that said "Daddy's Little Ninja." I wonder who picked that out. I then helped him put on some jeans, sending him to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

I went over and dragged Jason out of bed, literally, and shoved a Green Lantern T and pair of jeans into his hands, pushing him into the bathroom. Tim, scared he might suffer the same fate of hitting his head on the carpet like Jason, got out of bed and chose and blue, long-sleeved shirt with a periodic table on it and a pair of sweats.

Cass still clinging to me, I pulled Stephanie out of bed and to her bag, her blue eyes glaring at me the whole way. Jason came out of the bathroom, his hair a mess, spitting out the last of his toothpaste. I snatched the hairbrush out and then pushed Stephanie through the doorway.

I brushed Cass's hair, she being quiet even when I plowed through tangles. I then decided to do it. What? Just because I'm a guy doesn't mean I shouldn't do my little sister's hair. Plus, I'm really good at braiding. I don't know why, or even where I learned it, maybe I taught myself. Anyway, I put Cass's shoulder-length black hair into two low ponytail flip-throughs. She thanked me and cuddled up against my chest, still refusing to let me put her down.

By now everyone had brushed their teeth and gotten dressed, I ran the comb through Tim's short black hair, then through Jason's extremely dark red wavy slightly long hair, finishing with Damien's short dark brown spikey hair.

Stephanie came out in a pair of purple skinny jeans and a bright green shirt that said "Boo-tiful" in sparkly black lettering, a few ghosts and bats and such adorning it. She tugged my sleeve, and I looked expectantly at her.

"Can you do my hair pretty?" she asked, tugging at her dreadfully knotted curly blond hair.

"Sure." Then I looked at Jason. "Go get breakfast, it's almost done. Take everyone."

Jason rolled his eyes but strode to the door, Tim after him and Damien staring at me intensely. Cass hadn't left my lap. "Dami?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah, I just need to do Steph's hair, and get dressed myself," I said, realizing I hadn't taken care of myself in my rush to get my younger siblings out the door. "Go, Jason won't kill you. He better not." I shot menacingly at Jason's retreating form.

"Jeez! Dickybird! I would do no thing!"

"Or hurt them." I said pointedly, trying to get Cass to ease her death-grip on my pajama shirt.

"I wasn't going to. Unless they annoyed me."

"Jason."

"Fine!" he rolled his eyes, scooping a spiteful Damien into his arms. He then strode out of the door and off to the concierge lounge, forgetting all about Cass. Eh, probably didn't matter anyway, she'd already fallen asleep on my hip, her little fists still not giving up. What? She'd only gotten three hours of sleep last night as well.

I sighed and asked Steph how she wanted me to do her hair.

"Well, I want it to match my outfit." She ran into the bathroom and grabbed her bag of hair-stuff. Yeah, yeah, make fun of me all you want, it's not like they have a mom to do their hair, and just imagining Bruce doing makes me think "What have you done to my Father?!"

I pulled back her hair and brushed it, and despite Cass's silence when I did her hair, Steph was practically screaming when I went over a knot. I was used to it with her, so I just plowed ahead. When I was done brushing it, I pulled it into a high ponytail, then into a messy bun. I put an orange sparkly bun-net on it then a green ribbon, using a flat-iron to curl the ends and a few locks framing her face.

"Aw! Thanks, Dick! It's so cute! I looks like a pumpkin!"

"That's the idea." I shrugged, a smirk on my face.

I changed real quick into a black Superman sweatshirt, beige leather jacket and jeans. I then picked up a groggy Cass and we made our way to breakfast.

We had only about five minutes when we got there, so I had Stephanie get me a plate while I calmed down Tim, Jay, and Dami. Why did I think it was good idea to send them alone again? Oh yeah, Jason's twelve and should be responsible. Then again, he's not.

After I stopped a food fight, a wrestle-to-the-death-challenge, and a see-how-much-you-can-eat-without-puking contest, it was time to leave, so I carried my food back to the hotel room and had everyone pack up any amenities they'd gotten out while I sat cross-legged on the bed eating a muffin.

Then Bruce came back, soaking wet and stuffing his sunglasses in his pocket. See, when you're famous, you must stay true to the song: I wear my sunglasses at night! Ain't that right! And that includes wearing them when it's overcast. Onetime when someone asked all I could sputter out was, "The lightning is really bright!"

Bruce looked at the packed bags and gave me a rare smile as I folded the muffin wrapper. "I assume you all got breakfast?"

"Yep, and I almost won the eat-as-much-as-you-can-as-fast-as-you-can-without-puking-contest, but then Dick stopped us." Jason pouted, sticking out his lower lip.

Bruce huffed then picked up Cass, who was pleading for it. She cuddled against his chest, her seven year old self relaxing into her dad blissfully.

"Everyone, get your stuff. We're going to get out of here." It wasn't so simple when we lost Tim somewhere in the building on the way down.

"Tim?" I was searching for him on the fifth floor, Bruce on the sixth, Jason on the fourth and Steph on the third. Cass was with me and Dami with Bruce, and so our soap opera continued!

Suddenly Cass grabbed the wrist of my leather jacket, dragging me around the corner and into the… air vent? Immediately, I heard it. Sobbing.

I took a few turns but I found Tim pressed into the corner, crying. "Timmy!" I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. "What are you doing in here?"

"I-I, needed to use the bathroom, but then there was this guy, and he chased me, and I got scared and ran, and there was a dead-end, so I took the air-vent and the guy was too big to follow!" He cried melodramatically.

"Why was the guy chasing you?" I had an idea, but maybe Timmy knew.

"I-I don't know."

"Okay, let's get out of here. Come on;" I guided him out of the air vents, Cass following close behind.

It ended with us leaving at three thirty. I immediately started handing out sandwiches, cheese sticks, applesauce, and Capri Suns.

"Dick?"

"Yes, Dami?"

"I hate PB&J. You know that. And I only eat white cheese. Not coby jack."

I sighed, taking back the sandwich and the cheese stick. I handed him mozzarella and a ham and cheese sandwich. Dami took it and ate happily. Beside me, Jason dug through the cooler, pulling out a tuna with lettuce and pickles.

Cass was staring at her sandwich, not taking a bite, just staring. "Cass?" I asked. She looked up. "Would you like a different sandwich?"

She nodded and handed me her PB&J. Then she pointed to Jason's sandwich. I did as she asked, handing her the sandwich bag. Then I ate my own food, pulling out my laptop and hacking the hotel's security within seconds. It was actually a pretty tidy programming job, but simple to break. Sooo… I watched the security footage of what happened to Tim. It was exactly what I expected.

It was a janitor, and he had only wanted to help Tim if he was lost, but Tim had been distracted by his tablet (oh, so that's when _he_ hacked the system) when the man had called, surprising him and then when the janitor approached him, Tim panicked and ran, and the man, surprised, followed. But Timmy felt like he was chasing him so he ran as fast as his legs could take him, stowing away in the air vent.

Well, at least I know that somebody didn't try to kidnap him.

Suddenly, we swerved and pulled to the side of the road. I looked up confused, we'd only been in the car an hour and a half. "Dad?" I questioned.

"NO! How is this possible? What are we going to do?!" Steph was hysteric.

"Um… what happened?" Jason asked, looking up from his tablet.

"We are out of gas." Bruce said bluntly. I looked around. We were in the middle of nowhere, and every time a Semi passed the whole car shuddered in a way that made it feel as if it would send us flying back down the hill we'd been working on driving _up_.

"What? Are we gonna' be stranded- and _die_?" Tim asked, freezing and losing the game rolling on in his Ipad. I looked over my shoulder at it, It was that one where you had to combine elements of the periodic table as fast as you could to make a new one.

"No, Tim, there's a city not too far from here. I could walk, but I shouldn't leave you guys here alone." Bruce muttered.

"Dad, I can keep them safe, promise. If you want, I could even change and hide in some of the bushes. But we can't just sit here with no gas." I reasoned.

Bruce sighed. "Fine, but no, you don't have to change, just be careful to let no one recognize you. And here's a taser if someone tries to kidnap and hurt you, and make sure your belts are on you at all times, and-"

"We understand, Father. Now hurry and get some gas so we can get out of here." Damien growled, leaning forward so his breath brushed my neck. Bruce sighed and left. And then something horrible happened: we became VERY bored.

And when you're in a cramped car without keys (Bruce had taken them with him) and thus no AC, just cracked windows, for the second day in the row, you're not even moving, and you're bored, well… let's just say it's not a good recipe.

Damien kicked violently on the back of my chair, with such force I was repelled forward. Jason was screaming his head off at Tim to stop pressing on his chair, Steph was yelling a Jason to quiet down, and Cass was glaring daggers at Tim, who, in his surprise at Jason screaming at him to stop pushing on his chair had jumped, knocking Cass's arm, sending her pencil across her picture she was drawing and ruining it.

"SHUT UP!" I screamed after about five minutes of this, Damien continually kicking on my chair.

Everyone stared at me in surprise. Jason was about to stay something, but instead I said, "I'm turning on a book. If ANY OF YOU MAKE A SOUND you lose. Winner I will take to torment the Team."

"The Team that makes you leave us alone all the time, neglecting your poor little siblings?" asked Jason.

"Yes." I twisted and grabbed Damien's flying foot. "That includes anything that we would find annoying." I turned on my tablet and started playing Rick Riordan's "House of Hades."

 _"Chapter 1: Hazel."_

The audiobook started, the voice droning as Cass started over with her picture, Tim went back to playing Color Switch on his tablet, Stephanie quieted and pulled out a box of a latch-hook with the design of a unicorn she'd gotten at a rest-stop yesterday. Dami was making quiet swimming and splashing sounds as he rustled his blanket and played with his beany-boos (he'd gotten into an obsession with the ones with big heads and eyes yesterday and already had three, a shark- thus the swimming noises- a bat, and a penguin).

I sighed in relief, apparently they really hated how much I was gone on dangerous, death-tempting missions without overprotective Daddy!Bats, and with people they didn't even know. I knew how hard it was for Stephanie to be quiet and Jason to stop being annoying.

I then pulled out my own sketchbook and started drawing myself. I've been thinking lately, who should I be? I mean, I love the Robin persona, but it's kinda' kiddy and I won't be a kid forever. Thus, I have been using my mediocre art skills to draw new ideas. I was currently working on one I called "Shadow," it was a bat, but I think it looked a little too much like Cass's current Black Bat outfit, and a little too Bat _girly_.

It was completely black, with a full-face mask, a silver utility belt, bat symbol, and trimming, a short but bat-style cloak (I don't do capes), and white eyes. But it (obviously) didn't have a skirt like Barbara's, and Cass had that symbolic sewing over her mouth and nose,) and yellow outline of a bat, no eye-whites, and a longer cape, but… still.

I drew it anyway, and if you ignored my lack-of-drawing skill, it was actually pretty cool. We sat doing pretty much nothing, occasionally getting texts from Bruce on updates, he'd apparently had to get a cab and was on his way. Not too much later, about an hour and half maybe after he left, he was back with a bottle of gas and filled up the van enough just to get us to the closest gas station.

He then told us all get out and use the bathroom while he filled up. I put a tired Damien on my waist, he was only five, I can carry him, I held Tim's hand, I know, he's nine, but nine year-olds are way less mature than most realize, and Jason followed behind, clipping the heels on my sandals purposefully as we walked.

We used the bathroom, and when we came out Damien caught sight of more beany-boos and made his way over them, getting a couple wet with his freshly cleaned hands. They weren't dried because although the kid wasn't scared of jumping off of skyscrapers or giant monsters, or evil mad genius clowns that even Superman can't beat out to capture him and torture just for fun in spite of his father, the Joker's nemesis, he was scared out of his wits- no, _terrified_ \- of hand-dryers. Especially the blade ones.

Damien ran up to me holding two, one was a little white ghost, and the other was a wolf with blue eyes and grey fur. "I want them, Grayson. But if Father only lets me choose one, which one shall it be? I have no thought as to how to choose one over the other!"

"I'd choose the wolf."

"The ghost it is, then." Damien smiled and pranced up to the display to put the wolf back. "BUUUTTT…" he lamented.

"Aw! They're so cute!" Stephanie ran up to the stand after coming out of the bathroom, grabbing a pink leopard. "I want one! Do you think Dad'll let me have it?"

I face-palmed. Just because Bruce had a ton of money didn't mean he should spoil us. I was about to drag everyone out when Jason suddenly squealed. He ran over to a glass case featuring a bunch of hunting rifles.

"I wanna' gun, so bad." He moaned, pressing his face to the glass.

"You know Dad's feelings about guns." Tim said, joining Jason.

"I know, but why can't just _one_ of the Robins have guns!? Just _one_ of the Bats!" Jason whined.

"Jajay, he lets us have bombs, poisons, needles, sedatives, grenades, knives, boa-staffs, machetes, katana, nun-chucks, boa-staffs with knives in the ends, not to mention RPGs, jets, even spaceships with lasers, and that's just the beginning. I'm pretty sure we shouldn't complain over the lack of a certain weapon." Stephanie crossed her arms, smirking.

Jason glared at her, backing away from the rifles. "Plus," I added, "We do have some guns. Dad hates guns, but he wants us to be prepared. We practice a lot."

"And I'm the best! He should get me a pistol to take on patrol!"

"Snuck it out." Cass giggled, fingering one of those ridiculously soft blankets, this one had an Orca on it. She was referring to the time he snuck a pistol out on patrol. It had been funny, seeing as Jason got in a ton of trouble and Penguin had been caught that night with a bullet in his leg.

We all laughed along with her, minus Jason who was half angry half blissfully enjoying the memory of Penguin screaming in his demented, nasally voice, "AH! I'M BIT! I'M BIT! IT BIT ME HARD!" as a satisfying thud entered right where he'd been aiming.

"Okay, okay. Come on everyone, back to the car." I checked everyone carefully making sure we'd… ah, not set off the store alarm. Then we jumped back in the car and Bruce used the bathroom, then we drove off.

Bruce had to make some phone-calls, so we quieted down and most of us fell asleep. He woke us up when we reached the hotel in Wyoming, it was American Inn. Kind of cliché, and the keys were nightmares to get the front door to open, but eventually we collapsed in bed, all our devices plugged in and charging.

Aw, sleeeeeeepppp…

* * *

 **Pa-da!**

 **Want more?**

 **Reeeevvviiieeeeeew!**

 **~ _Universe_**


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